(1) Field of the Invention
The subject of this present invention is a size-determining system and method, as well as a method for the producing of a size-determining system. It finds particular application in the field of creating a sizing system for products that are intended to be worn on one or more parts of the body of a person. For example, but not exclusively, it can consist of articles for sub-aquatic vision, in particular such as swimming goggles, and swimming or diving masks.
(2) Description of Related Art
In general, a product is offered for sale either in a single size or in several sizes.
When offered in a single size, it is obviously understood that the product will not necessarily be suitable for all users. A size, regardless of its definition, is generally determined statistically so that it will fit the greatest number. But the satisfaction rating, which is related to suitability of fit, will be relatively low, given the different possible morphology types, and the morphological differences within a given morphology type.
The problem is particularly difficult for products such as items for sub-aquatic vision e.g. swimming goggles, and swimming or diving masks. For such products, there is an important issue of comfort and leak-resistance properties. It is extremely difficult to design a product in a single size that affords a satisfactory level of comfort and leak-tightness for a large number of people, since face morphology differences can vary widely from one person to another.
Under these conditions, to improve the level of comfort of the product it is possible, for example, to include a foam gasket that follows the contour of the user's face as closely as possible to compensate for the poor fit of the single size. The problem then arises of poor leak-proof qualities due to this type of gasket.
Conversely, to achieve good leak resistance properties, it is possible to provide the product with a silicone gasket, since this will provide a better level of leak-tightness than a foam gasket. However the problem then will be a problem of discomfort for a certain number of users for whom the single size is ill-adapted.
It can therefore be appreciated that a product that is offered to users in several sizes will satisfy a greater number thereof.
Systems and methods known as size grading are already known for clothing, which are used to determine the characteristics of a certain number of sizes from a master pattern. For this master pattern, the geometrical characteristics of all parts of the garment are determined. Then, using empirical grading rules, particular to the garment under consideration and applied to the characteristic points of the garment, the characteristics of the other sizes are obtained. These rules concern variations in the coordinates of the characteristic points.
These systems and methods are complex and expensive however. They necessitate extensive calculations, based on empirical rules that are not necessarily appropriate. Additionally, they are not appropriate for products whose geometry or morphology does not directly reflect that of the part of the body on which these products are to be worn. In some cases, the correlation between the different geometries of certain parts of the body for a given size, and these same geometries for a different size is not necessarily a logical correlation.
This is the case, for example, with products such as items for sub-aquatic vision e.g. swimming goggles, and swimming or diving masks. In this case, these systems and methods do not allow a relationship to be established between certain morphological characteristics of the product and certain morphological characteristics of that part of the body on which the product is to be worn, nor do they allow a size to be determined, from among a set of possible sizes, that is best suited a given person.
The problem which therefore arises is the providing of a system and a method, based on a set of size parameters characteristic of the products, which can be used in particular to determine sizes having a high level of morphological coverage, so as to be able to determine the size, from among a group of possible sizes, that will fit an individual person.
The objective of the invention is therefore to provide a solution to the aforementioned problems, amongst others.